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Conversation #004
The signs
of the 2nd Advent
Hi Truth Seeker,
Here I am back again with some more help (I hope).
You wrote:
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Also Jesus was part of that prophecy and he hasn't come riding on the clouds as of yet. I simply don’t like it when people try to make natural (albeit extraordinary) events fill prophecies when they aren't....
I believe in the teachings of Jesus to a point, but it seems that there are no true followers left.
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My answer:
Jesus Himself told us that natural phenomena would warn of His second coming. They didn't have to be worldwide so long as the attention of the Christian world was focussed on them, and at that time the spiritual centre of Christianity was in the United States. The majority of Europeans (and even the English) had long given up their spiritual enthusiasm. Jesus said:-
Matthew 24:6-8
And you shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that you be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be FAMINES, AND PESTILENCES, AN EARTHQUAKES, in divers [different] places. All these are begining of sorrows.
So there should not be any problem with the earthquake, or the dark day of 1780. Nor with the meteor showers of 1833. Natural things are used by God to direct attention to His prophecies and warnings. They are usually larger than normal or more frequent, so that the Christians of the time can see the difference between them and the "normal" catastrophes.
We should also note that He asked people to recognise these things AFTER the end of the religious persecutions.
Matthew 24:29
Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken...
Then He told us that persecutions would begin again before His return and that this time they would be worldwide. That hasn't happened yet.
Matthew 24:9-13
Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and you shall be hated of ALL NATIONS for My name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound [in the professed Christian church], the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure to the end, the same shall be saved.
So it will be a matter of keeping a "hot" faith when others grow "cold". It will not be easy to accept the betrayals for they come from family and friends, especially from those in the church, but they are an inevitable part of religious warfare which is why He mentioned them.
Matthew 24:30
And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
I believe that the stars falling was actually the first time that this group of meteors had been seen in such quantities, and its reoccurrence every 33 years now is a good reminder. Last year's show was spectacular but few associated it with the end of the world unfortunately.
[For more on Meteors click here.]
The word of God also explains why there aren't many Christians seen in the world.
1 Kings 19:17-18
And it shall come to pass, that him that escapes the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay: and him that escapes from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay.
Yet I have left Me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed to Baal [the god of force], and every mouth which has not kissed [worshipped] him.
Romans 11:2-5
God has not cast away His people which He foreknew. Wot you not [don't you know] what the scripture says of Elijah? How he makes intercession to God against Israel [the church of the time], saying, "Lord, they have killed Your prophets, and digged [broken] down Your altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life."
But what says the answer of God to him? "I have reserved to Myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal." Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
God's people worship the God of peace while others worship the god of force, but no one can tell who is worshipping who from the outside. Only God knows who we are "bowing the knee" to. Therefore it often looks to us as though there are no Christians left, but His word says that there is always "a remnant".
And we can trust His word.
Of course, we can see which god they are following when they persecute!!
Regards,
Ron
P.S. Let me know if you want to continue this discussion otherwise I won't bother you any more. I'm not running away but don't want to offend you unless you want to hear!
oooOooo
To the reader,
If there is anything not clear to you as you read my answer, please feel free to mail me and ask about it. I promise not to send you anything but a direct answer to your question. I won't argue about it, just share with you what I have seen.
I won't ask you to join a new church or offshoot either!
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